Occupant protection apparatuses are used in vehicles having open roofs to protect the occupants when the vehicle is overturned. For example, a roll bar (occupant-protecting bar mechanism) disclosed in the Specification of German Patent No. 19838989 is described herein.
A conventional roll bar is capable of moving and is used to maintain a space between the occupant and the ground when the vehicle is overturned.
However, in cases in which the occupant is either not wearing a seatbelt or is not wearing a seatbelt properly, it is possible that the occupant cannot be sufficiently restrained. This results in problems in which the protective capacity of the roll bar is reduced.
Also, even if a space is maintained above the occupant by the roll bar, the occupant is jolted to the left or to the right when the vehicle is overturned as a result of a side impact or the like, and the restraining force of the seatbelt against one of the occupant's shoulders may not be sufficient. This results in problems in which the protective capacity of the roll bar is reduced.